Islam Response Paper

Muhammad was able to accomplish the impossible by uniting the Arabian Peninsula under his new religion called Islam, but other factors contributed to its success. From a very early age Muhammad lived with his uncle, a leader of the Quraysh tribe which was powerful in the area. This allowed Muhammad to belong and learn from a tribe of come influence in the area.
Muhammad grew up in and around Mecca. Because Mecca was a hotspot for trade in the Arabian Peninsula many different groups of people with different religious traditions including Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians were around and practicing, so Mecca was a relatively tolerant area. Muhammad was able to use this diversity t build up his new religion. Also in Mecca was the Kaaba, a religious center for tribal religions that housed deities of the local traditions. Muhammad was able to incorporate some of these local traditions, like the black stone in the Kaaba which still has a central role in the hajj. While luck may have played a role in Islam’s rapid spread Muhammad was able to make Islam successful by incorporating pre-Islamic traditions, his charisma and political skills, taking advantage of the accepting climate and the appeal of his teachings.